Friday, May 16, 2008

Pertaining to Mr. Tice's apologetic, I can only say that either what he writes is not accurate or what he says is not accurate. He cannot have it both ways.

First, there is nothing wrong with positive thinking and planning for success. Those are standard aspects of any motivation program. Our children should be encouraged that they can dream and have vision for the future and that educators should not give up on them. Those are the only aspects of his program that Mr. Tice advocated Thursday at the Peoria Civic center. Why would anyone expect to hear anything other than the positive on the initial pass? He’s a salesman and a salesman’s job is to first get your attention, then sell while your emotion is high.

Mr. Tice's problems with his program are beyond mere positive confession. Contrary to his statements made to the PJSTAR and WEEK, Mr. Tice knows EXACTLY what is meant by "New Age"...the mere fact that he "heard it 15 years ago" (As he says in the same sentence) is the best indicator that he is fully aware of what I’ve mentioned. Mr. Tice counts on no one else knowing what "New Age" means. This is why Mr. Tice must convince anyone challenging his teachings of their "ignorance".

Secondly, "New Ageism" is an eclectic psudospirituality and is inappropriate in the classroom in a Public School setting. The reason I say psudospirituality is because the axis IS NOT based on spirituality, but on humanity. Spirituality is simply a means to the end of exalting and deifying humanity. In the Pacific Institutes case, The Mind and Mind Dynamics, are the pinnacle of existence and ultimate control of mankind. These concepts are repeated over and over in the material.

Third, Mr. Tice introduces his eclecticism by introducing the Buddhism in his materials, although, any philosopher could have been quoted the Pali Canon is directly quoted in his material. The quote from the Pali Canon is not accidental, it is intentional,

"All that is comes from the mind; it's based on the mind, it is fashioned by the mind"

Pali Canon 500-250BC

This is Buddhism 101. Buddhism basically teaches that humanity at a certain conscious state is divine. The object is to gain affirmations that "The Mind" is the vehicle from where ALL reality and fiction flows. In this construct even God and God concepts come from the mind and are created by humanity. This is the humanist theme song as outlined by Paul Kurtz in the humanist Manifesto 2000. There is an ongoing debate in Christian circles as to how for to go with these teaching, but the point is clear, for Mr. Tice to say he doesn’t know what’s being said is deceitful to say the least.

Fourth, Mr. Tice is not just making educational statements within the context of the classroom, he's making theological statements which are not denied when he says, "Good theology and good psychology go together." In his worldview the mind dynamics run along side spiritual dynamics with a healthy mind giving way to healthily spirituality.

Even though he hasn't read the material as I have, a responder to the Peoria Journal Star’s blog gave one of the best comments concerning the issue. He said this,

"I think the concern here is that this program goes beyond visualization to the

belief that reality can be literally manipulated by how one thinks."

That statement is totally correct. This is the 21 Keys program and outlines the complete deception of Mr. Tice. The program states,

"This whole curriculum is designed to help you achieve what you want to achieve. You don’t

need more education, you need a vehicle to help you reach what it is you desire."Pg. 103

This is NOT limited to education, test scores, positive thoughts or anything of the sort. This is a overarching life statement. "Visualization" and "feeling the emotion" are only methods to help individuals achieve "what you want".

Now if you don’t know how mysticism works, you have no clue or the foggiest idea of what I’m talking about. But the whole concept of "achieving desires" and "subconscious reality" is an eastern metaphysical thought system and is unworthy of the Public School Educational realm.

Fifth, the program says this about using thought and visualization:

"Now remember we’ve spoken a little bit in the past about the Pygmalion principle. What you’re going to do is you’re going to Pygmalion your day. You’re going to sculpt your day, you’re going to create your day with your thought."Workbook Pg. AJ-5

One may say that the material is only referring to planning your day…NO. He is a "modern psychologist" as he claims who certainly knows the difference between "planning" and "CREATING" as his material specifies. His program is designed to imprint the subconscious and manipulate actions through the medium of visualization and affirmations that sway individuals away from current truth into new subconcious realities and suggestions.

IN PRINT, his program encourages elements of Eastern Mysticism and other humanistic dynamics NOT just visualization, in order to create "reality on the subconscious level."Pg. 65.

This is indoctrination to religious/ humanistic psychomanipulation. His program is complete with information on identifying "alpha-states" and other mind-altering techniques.

In his public speaking Mr. Tice does what salespeople do, sell their products.

Finally, Mr. Tice states the following:

"His ignorance is obvious about how the mind works and modern psychology,".

Although this is hardly the terminology that a top psychologist is trained to use, (and that is with intention) as a lay person I am personally and fully aware of the Gestalt psychology and psychotechnologyies that the 21 Keys program is based on. I am also fully aware of the flow of current information into the field of modern psychology. These studies are not new, however theories have been revised to fit a popular audience. Some theories are very helpful others leave much to be desired. In the end of the 21 Keys program "creative expression" is not the aim, subjection and ultimately control is.

No matter what happens, Peoria will not be able to say that it was not given the information necessary to be able to discern the truth of Mr. Tice’s program. I expect If a person approaches this program with their critical thinking capacities, they should be able to distinguish when the line is being crossed from mere positive motivations to mysticism and religion. All I can say is that my children will not be subject to the use of the 21 Keys.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

"All that is comes from the mind; it is based on the mind, it is fashioned by the mind."

The Pali Canon, 500-250 B.C.(In Unit 5- How The Mind Works)

21 Keys Pg. 37

It has come to my attention that Peoria Public School District 150 (PPSD) has come to an agreement with The Pacific Institute of Seattle, Washington founded by Mr. Lou Tice, to provide certain educational training services. We also understand that the District plans to make training mandatory for all employees of PPSD.

We further understand that the goal of PPSD is to use the strategies and techniques contained with Pacific Institutes 21 Keys program in the class room, encouraging teachers to share what they’ve learned and implement strategies with students.

For reasons I will outline in this very important critique, the complete scenario is of great concern to me personally, as a parent, and also as a spiritual leader of the community. It is my hope that you will take this information and evaluation seriously and make bold moves to distinguish the PPSD 150 from the potential harmful material that the Pacific Institute offers our teachers and students.

The New Age Humanist Movement & Mind CultsThe New Age is not really new. It arose gradually and almost imperceptibly out of the hippie movement spawned during the turbulent decade of the '60s. Building on the foundation of the '50s' beatniks, who were into Zen and other forms of Eastern spirituality, the hippies eventually grew up to enter the corporate world, often taking with them their mystical spiritual and philosophical worldview.

During the '70s the so-called "Human Potential Movement" came to the fore, led by Erhard and est (and its later incarnation, the Forum, marketed through Transformational Technologies). Erhard has acknowledged that est was most heavily influenced by Zen, Mind Dynamics, and Scientology. Other influences were the German atheist philosopher Nietzsche, the Indonesian occult movement Subud, and the Hindu gurus Swami Muktananda and Satya Sai Baba. Other similar human potential programs and training firms established about the same time or since are Lifespring (John Hanley), Insight (John- Roger Hinkins: Movement for Spiritual Inner Awareness), Actualizations, Krone Training, PSI World, Pecos River Institute, Sportsmind, and the Pacific Institute (Lou Tice).

Underlying all of these programs, to one degree or another, are the following concepts:

All of reality is part of one essence.

This is the Eastern philosophical view known as monism which teaches that "all is one." In other words, there is no ultimate distinction between God and creation, or between one individual and another. The distinctions we see are unreal or illusionary. This means (among other things) that God and man are the same

"If you don't see me God, it's because you don't see yourself as God," Shirley MacLaine told an attendee at a seminar in the New York Hilton.

A common New Age theme is that if man is God, (and the belief is that he is) then man has unlimited potential, able to accomplish anything he desires and/or is able to visualize. Finally, portions of Gestalt psychology are used in most modern New Age psychological programs. The significance of Gestalt was basically that the whole was representative of the group. Therefore the individual was less significant than the group. This psychology, which is the root of the 21 Keys program has been historically proven to be dangerous and harmful to ethnic groups in particular.

Both the concepts of unlimited potential and the creation of what one desires seethe through the 21 Keys Program from beginning to end:

21 Keys Pg. VII ~ "21 Keys for High Performance Teaching and Learning is grounded in the theory and applied research of the world’s leading research psychologists who are convinced that we all have far greater potential than we use. Employing, as foundation, the research of Dr. Albert Bandura at Stanford University, Dr. Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Gary Latham at the University of Toronto, the content of this course, and The Institute’s elementary age curriculum, is based on observations that:

Children have much more potential that they are currently using.

Each child has a sincere desire to use more of this untapped potential.

Children often limit themselves by their negative self-talk.

Beliefs are formed with this self-talk, limiting opportunities for positive growth and change throughout life.

All children can change themselves by changing their beliefs."

"We’re going to get into self-image, comfort zones and how to expand and grow and stop inhibiting ourselves so much. This is the whole idea of what we’re trying to explain to people. We have enormous potential, but the way we think blocks us. If we change the way we think, we change the way we act. Change the way we think, we change the way we live."21 Keys Pg.29"This whole curriculum is designed to help you achieve what you want to achieve. You don’t need more education, you need a vehicle to help you reach what it is you desire."21 Keys Pg. 103Philosophical Aim:
New Age philosophy teaches that humanity must undergo a "paradigm shift," a drastic change in the way we view the world around us. As New Age populist Marilyn Ferguson wrote, "A paradigm shift is a distinctly new way of thinking about old problems... A new paradigm involves a principle that was present all along but unknown to us. It includes the old as a partial truth, one aspect of How Things Work, while allowing for things to work in other ways as well. By its larger perspective, it transforms traditional knowledge and the stubborn new observations, reconciling their apparent contradictions..."

The frequent result of all such techniques is that the individual comes to sense the dissolution of his person and a oneness with the Universe, referred to in Eastern religions as enlightenment, cosmic-consciousness, or God-consciousness or Nirvana.

We hold that 21 Keys is an initiation, or what I have called a "baptism" into the teachings of the New Age and a shift from traditional Western cultural values. The facilitators and evangelists of this program are teachers at classroom level. The targets are unsuspecting children at the expense of families of all socioeconomic and ethnic classes.

At best the Pacific Institute Programs are humanistic philosophies, at worst they are an cultic religious constructs, designed to slowly and effectively turn individuals away from historical and traditional values, which the program views as "negative". The aim is to turn individuals toward "New Age" and humanistic value sets. Spiritual values are also considered enemies and inhibitors to effective growth under the 21 Key program.

An example of this was found in the materials developed by Tice and used for Rockwell aerospace employees. Similar to the 21 Keys program, there are historical and philosophical quotes throughout the program. There is a quote by William Penn that would seem to affirm Mr. Tice’s statements regarding his beliefs and intents:

"Man must choose to be ruled by God or he's destined to be ruled by a tyrant and then might makes right."

In seeming contradiction to this in the same manual, there is a trainee affirmation as follows:

"I choose to treat myself with dignity and proceed to move toward full love, wisdom, freedom and joy, knowing that I am the authority over me"

Maybe Mr. Tice on one hand may acknowledge God but is saying that he has chosen NOT to be ruled by God, in any event he declares his authority over himself.

Similar to 21 Keys, the Rockwell training relied heavily on self-image psychology and says that the campus is:

"Now you’re going to unlock the future for them, and that’s what I love about it. You’re going to give them ideas, fundamentals that are just so natural inside of children who have somehow been blocked and don’t even know it. When you are able to do this, you’re going to make them come alive for the rest of their lives."21 Keys, pg. 23 (In his Lock in/Lock out concept as it pertains to children)

As noted the same primary staples of the 21 Keys program are similar to other programs that have been considered purely and obviously New Age. Some of the programs notably eastern religious metaphysical concepts are as follows:

Assimilation

Visualizations

Affirmations

Feel The Emotions

Assimilation: Pulling ideas into the subconscious realm of our cognitive process therefore making new visions a part of our lives.

Visualizations: To recall of form mental images from the imagination; to make perceptive to the mind; forethought; mental stimulation. Creative visualization is often a means of unblocking or dissolving barriers that we ourselves have created.

As mentioned this technique is a staple of most all New Age and occultic philosophical concepts.

Affirmations. Usually found in religious materials and circles, the Pacific Institute has redefined affirmations as follows for this program: "A cognitive act that establishes a specific course, direction, outcome or state of being for the future; a confirmation or ratification of a truth. Affirmations are written and spoken in the first person, present verb tense to emphasize their attainability."

What is "affirmed" is the belief in "self" or "self capability". In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with anyone being encouraged to increase their self-confidence, however, this program moves beyond mere self-confidence into a redefinition of values and "truths".

Upon closer examination PI’s definition of Affirmation is in part, "a confirmation or ratification of a truth" PI holds that all truth is relative to our preconceived notions, perceptions, belief systems and are therefore non-static and expendable:

"We are acting in accordance with the truth as we believe it; that’s the whole premise of this curriculum. We behave not in accordance with the truth as it really is, but what we believe it to be. If it’s not the truth, it doesn’t make any difference; we’re limited by it. We’re limited by our beliefs."21 Keys Workbook Pg. AJ 41

PI would hold that all prior beliefs or "truths" as we know them, are incompatible to future growth and development:

"Is your belief level really the truth? If you’re still stuck with a belief from your youth, even though it’s not the truth, it affects your behavior as an adult."21 Keys Pg. 47- (Unit 6 "The Truth as I know it")

"I want to give you a principle. The principle very simply, is that human beings behave and act not in accordance with the truth, but the truth as we believe it to be."…Once you get a belief in your mind, which is called conditioning, it affects the way you view the world. It affects what you see and don’t see."21 Keys Pg. 5

Further Mr. Tice gives clear indication as to what beliefs that he personally held that were flawed and undermining to his successful growth:

"As a child, or maybe even as an adult, you outrun the flames of hell your whole life. You’re not trying to be good because of the right reasons to be good, you’re doing good so you don’t go to hell. That is restrictively motivating oneself."21 Keys Pg. 157- (This was said specifically regarding the problems with coercive motivation)

As one can see there is ample evidence from this brief introduction to cause one to call the Pacific Institute program into question. We would like the Peoria Public School District 150 to reconsider their relationship with the Pacific Institute and at the very least NOT implement any of their programs with our Public Schools.

Due to space limitations I will not place the complete critique on this site. The booklet is available for free by emailing me at Dunamis1@netzero.com or by calling the office at 1(877)677-6599.

Students and teachers are encouraged to use the 3 step process to assimilate their written affirmations or vision as follows: 1-Read the words 2- Visualize or picture it 3- Feel the emotion 21 Keys Pg. 103-104

The 21 Keys program restates these same imperatives many ways. Their web-site states the following:"Each program is focused on raising the self-esteem of the individual, as well as enhancing their self-efficacy – the individual’s opinion of their ability to make things happen."

The 21 Keys Program encourages teachers to learn how to experience and teach subconscious psychomanipulation using the psychotechnologies contained within the program:

"The best time to affirm is when you’re in what is called the alpha state, or the daydreaming state. You’re naturally at the daydreaming state just before you fall asleep at night, and usually just upon awakening. Your subconscious is much more receptive to your affirmation in this state."21 Keys Pg. 104-105

"I = imagination, V = vividness and R = reality or I x V = R. "So vividness means any time we get a clear picture with emotion and have it repeated, it becomes reality on the subconscious level."21 Keys Pg. 65

The following are common features and characteristics of modern mind science occultic teaching and philosophies:

Meditation and Visualization (according to occultists, this is a shortcut to unlocking all the mysteries of mysticism) In the 21 Key program visualization is a major emphasis.

"You can teach your kids to stretch their comfort zones with visualization. That’s what we make affirmations for, to stretch our comfort zones. Have your students practice in their minds before they go to their next class. You’re going to be so good at this. You’re going to have them practice before they take the test, you’re going to have them practice before they get the play, you’re going to have them practice before they need to go someplace that’s new or fearful to them. You’re going to be good at this and so will all your students."21 Keys Pg. 115

"You don’t just need to do it two times a day, you can do it three or four times. In fact the more often you do it the faster the change."21 Keys Pg. 105 (concerning visualizations)

"How would you do this with children? You need to figure out how to get this done. We want their behavior changed, we want them to improve. Using the affirmation process, you’ll find all kinds of ways to get them to talk about how good they are. You will teach them how to write affirmation too, and how to visualize correctly and how to write affirmations in their mind."21 Keys Pg. 106

In the corporate programs, employees are encouraged to bring their entire families. Self-image psychology is stressed as part of a new "mental tool kit." Like other psychotechnologies, the perceptions of the participants are played with in an attempt to shift their focus to "New Age Thinking."

Participants are taught that they can create their own world first on a subconcious level, by their own thought-forms and that by ignoring or downplaying negative inputs their world will become a brighter, better place.The program is exactly the same in respect to the 21 Keys program for PPSD.

Summary: The Evidence Has Indicated The Following

The 21 Keys program has significant and strong ties to the New Age Movement and Modern Mind Cult

The 21 Keys Program is similar in scope and content to other programs produced by The Pacific Institute which are unambiguously New Age thoroughly presenting New Age philosophical constructs and mind altering techniques.

The primary methods of the 21 Keys Training are based on eastern and metaphysical religious structures and mind dynamics which have been incorporated into many major Universities psychological and behaviorial health programs and curriculum.

The 21 Keys program encourages teachers to use cognitive psychomanipulation techniques on themselves and students, and suggests that the teachers engage students with additional techniques contained within the program.

This 21 Keys concept is filled with emotivisms, That cross feelings with thoughts and leads individuals to say ‘I feel’ when they mean ‘I think’, and then – an easy shift – to allow feeling to trump thinking, and then to replace it altogether. An example of this is:"Beliefs are built in 3 dimensions. 1- Words or language, 2- Images, 3- emotion or feeling which is the most powerful dimension. These 3 dimensions of thought are called "self-Talk" "another word for self-talk is, very simply, an affirmation."21 Keys Pg.63 (This idea separates "thinking", feeling and belief and thus leads one to share how they feel as opposed to what they think.)

The focus of the 21 Keys program is similar to that of cultic religious indoctrination practices, offering affirmations and assimilation techniques and a targeted deprogramming of traditional values. This is unacceptable at the Public School Level and could potentially be a violation of law.

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